


Post-War Nightmares

by portkeykelsea



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Fluffy, Married Characters, Oneshot, Plot Twists, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-Hogwarts, Post-War, a little humor, dramione drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28148508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/portkeykelsea/pseuds/portkeykelsea
Summary: Nightmares were fairly common for much of the wizarding community since Voldemort’s fall. Hermione and Draco were no exception.Written for DFFR 2.0 Drabble DaysPrompt: Post War
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Post-War Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this faster than my others, so I hope it’s as decent of writing as the rest.

“Sorry I-I can’t stop...” sobs choked through her chest. 

“You don’t have to be sorry for anything, love. Just breathe. I’ve got you. Breathe.”

Draco rubbed Hermione’s back in a soothing rune pattern.  
“That’s it, just breathe.” 

Hermione shuddered, leaning into Draco’s touch.  
“Another nightmare,” she murmured. 

Draco sighed. “Will they ever stop? 3 years later and we’ve all still got them. Potter, Weasley, even Blaise.”

“Maybe...It’s called PTSD, remember? I thought we’d talked about that. There’s not exactly a cure for it.”

They sat in the quiet for a moment before Draco grinned. 

“At least they’ve gotten better since we’ve been married.” 

His eyes fell to their wedding bands and he considered the past couple of years. 

Hermione’s breath started to slow. She scooted closer to him in their king-sized bed and leaned her head on his shoulder. 

“What time is it?” She rubbed her eyes. 

“A little after 2. Bellatrix again?”

“Mmm? Oh no, snatchers this time. It was my fault we got captured.”

Draco kissed the top of her head.  
“Any clues this time?”

Hermione thought about this. 

This post-dream analysis had become a ritual between them. Whenever one had a nightmare, the other would soothe. Once calm, they would talk through each dream, no matter the gore or heartache.  
And in recent months they had gotten better at looking for details that tipped off the dreamer to wake themselves up. 

“I wasn’t wearing my wedding band. And the forest wasn’t quite the same as when..” she trailed off knowing she didn’t need to explain further. 

Draco nodded, shifting away from her to slip out of bed. 

“Where are you going?” Her voice wobbled. 

Draco cast a quick charm to turn on their lamp before answering.  
“The kitchens. I thought you might like some pumpkin juice.”

“Can I come with you?”

“Of course, darling.”  
He held out a hand and grinned as her feet padded across the floor to him. 

Nothing. Absolutely nothing compared to the feeling he got when he took care of her like this. This protectiveness was so different from his jealous days when they were dating. This felt much deeper, braver. And he was better at it than he thought he would’ve been. He had a long way to go, but his effort was always there. As was hers. 

Hand in hand they made their way to the kitchens, Draco lighting the way as they went. 

“Do we have any leftover scones?”

“Feeling snack-y are we?” Draco raised a brow in amusement. 

Hermione ducked her head.  
“Don’t make fun of my sweet tooth, Malfoy.”

Malfoy? She never called him that anymore. His body stilled. Draco felt sudden panic rising in him. 

Hermione tilted her head.  
“What’s wrong?”

Their eyes locked and Draco instantly whipped out his wand, holding it to her throat. He noticed she held a knife to his chest. 

“Who are you?” He spat, sweat breaking across the back of his neck. 

Her face still looked like Hermione, but something in her features had shifted. 

“I’m your wife, of course.” 

The eyes held a glint that made Draco’s stomach turn. 

“Where-is-Hermione,” he forced through gritted teeth. 

The person before him got impossibly closer. Draco felt the tip of the knife prick his skin. He swallowed. 

In a horrible scratchy voice, the imposter whispered,  
“She’s dead.”

Draco cried out as the fake Hermione shoved the knife into his chest. 

——————

“Draco! Draco sweetheart, wake up!”

Draco opened his eyes to find he was back in his bedroom. One hand clenched over his chest while the other held his wand which had been resting on his nightstand. His body felt hot all over, the sheets sticking to his sweat. 

“Another nightmare?” A calm voice asked. 

Draco turned to see Hermione sitting next to him. He nodded slightly. 

Hermione’s concern was clear, but the dream had felt too real. He had to ask. 

“Our first kiss?”

“Fourth year. After the Yule ball. I’d been crying over Ron and Krum. And you surprised me with your gentleness.”

Too easy. He had to think of something harder. 

“Where did I propose?” 

“In front of the entire wizard of community at the Hogwarts Gala, but also privately every month since we started dating. I’d say most of the time you were joking but we both know if I had said yes to any of those times you would’ve taken me seriously.”

She was grinning now, but Draco was still shaken up. 

Hermione continued, “You enjoy reading, you hate being goofy around anyone except me.” 

She snuggled closer to him, and placed a hand on his chest. 

“You love my hair - especially after we shower together, and you love the freckle on my hip.”

Draco raised a brow.  
“Keep going.”

Hermione smirked, “You hate injustice against children, you have a secret talent for singing, and your biggest fears include becoming like your father and, if I remember correctly, the forbidden forest.” 

“You little minx,” Draco chuckled, “ You know that’s not what I meant.”

He hands slipped to her waist, pulling her in closer. He buried his face in her hair to breathe in her scent. 

She intertwined her fingers with his.  
“I’m sorry about your nightmare, Draco.”

“I’m just glad you’re here.”

She stopped and turned to face him.  
“What do you mean?”

“Let’s just say I’m adding another item to my list of biggest fears.” He pulled her close again, squeezing tighter this time. 

It was quiet for a moment, and then...

“Does it rank before or after the forbidden forest?”

Draco barked a laugh, “I was eleven, that doesn’t count!” 

He then went on to describe what he’d been dreaming of, and they sorted through his nightmare just like all their others - together.

**Author's Note:**

> With these drabbles, I want to work on writing well and implementing creativity into each work I post.
> 
> I appreciate all the feedback I’ve received so far! Thanks for reading.


End file.
